In its first few years, the Internet looked a lot different than it does now. What used to be a text-heavy world is now a media-filled conglomerate of—for the lack of a better word—stuff. When you’re online checking out current events or updates from your favorite brands, what type of content do you prefer? Your answer will most definitely depend on your age and what devices you like to use. The digital age is causing a divide in how the different generations consume media. Find out how it can and SHOULD affect the future of content creation in marketing.
What the Heck Is Content Consumption?
Content consumption is a really odd-sounding phrase that describes how users read, watch, and enjoy media. Over the years, the content people read and the media we consume has changed drastically. In the past, many of us stuck to watching news on television or reading it in print. Most of those articles were written by journalists and included minimal graphic media.
Now, however, the content we consume has morphed into a smorgasbord of different types of media (pictures, infographics, gifs, text, video with and without sound, etc.) produced by both professional content creators and everyday users.
More than half of website traffic happens on mobile devices, which directly affects the way people read content. Users on mobile devices who click on an article from social media platforms are less likely to finish reading an article if it’s too text-heavy and difficult to read on a small screen.
That’s why content marketers should be thoughtful when creating content in this digital age. Internet users (who unsurprisingly have short attention spans) enjoy content in small segments. They want the content they read to get to the point ASAP—and they want pretty pictures and video to go with it.
How different generations consume media
As you can see from the graph below, there’s a divide between generations and how they prefer to consume content. Millennials love their social media, and Baby Boomers still love the tube.
You will find more statistics at Statista
Why does this matter? Marketers can (and should) take all this information about content consumption and alter their efforts depending on their target audiences. If your audience is 60-something medical patients, you just might want to buy a commercial spot during the six o’clock news. But, if your audience is 20-year-old college students, you want your ads to be on Facebook.
So, what type of media should I share with my audience—and where?
The future of content creation should be based on our content consumption trends. Users are more likely to skim through long form content and blogs that are text-heavy. They’re more likely to thoroughly and completely consume videos, social media posts, and news articles. Meaning, keep your content short and sweet, and include visuals. Break up content with headers and shorter paragraphs to better suit the needs of your mobile users.
Content distribution also matters for the way we consume it. Brands should share content across many different channels online—in addition to it being published on your website. First and foremost, share your content on social media. Then, do your research. Where is your target audience online? Find that place, and meet them where they are.
Content Marketing for the Digital Age
Post Launch knows where your audience is—or, at least, we can find out. Talk to us about your concerns with content marketing, and we’ll find a solution that fits you and your audience’s needs.
